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Ras malai

Soft paneer discs soaked in reduced saffron milk

Ras malai is a much-loved Bengali sweet now made all over India: soft discs of fresh paneer poached in light syrup, then soaked in milk boiled down until rich and creamy and flavoured with saffron. Served chilled, scattered with almonds, pistachios and cardamom. Makes about 50 small pieces.
Total time
130 min
Difficulty
hard
Serves
12
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Ingredients

Serves12

For the paneer

For the syrup

For the milk

To decorate

Method

0/10 done
  1. Step 1: Make paneer: bring 6 ¼ cups whole milk to the boil, stir in 1 ½ tsp citric acid until the milk curdles, then drain the curds in muslin (see the paneer recipe).

    15 min
  2. Step 2: Hang the paneer until it's dry, then knead into a smooth dough with the heel of your hand.

    30 min
  3. Step 3: Roll into small balls and flatten each one a little.

  4. Step 4: Boil 4 ¼ cups water and 12 ½ oz sugar in a wide pan until the syrup is slightly sticky.

    8 min
  5. Step 5: Add the paneer discs one at a time, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes. They will swell.

    20 min
  6. Step 6: Take off the heat and let them cool, then drain the discs and set aside.

  7. Step 7: Boil 10 ½ cups whole milk in a heavy pan, stirring often, until it reduces to half.

    50 min
  8. Step 8: Add 4 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp saffron, crushed, strain the milk and let it cool.

  9. Step 9: Stir in the ras malai and sprinkle with 2 tbsp almond and pistachio flakes and 1 tsp ground cardamom.

  10. Step 10: Chill well before serving.

    120 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
380 kcal
Protein
18 g
Carbs
48 g
Fat
14 g
Fibre
0 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does ras malai take?
About 130 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of whole milk?
Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
What can I use instead of citric acid?
Juice of 1 lemon or 1 tbsp white vinegar per tsp (for curdling milk).

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